Evaluation of a Focused Intervention on Patient Reported Outcomes in Patients Taking Capecitabine in a Specialty Pharmacy Setting
by Georgina N Masoud, BS Pharm, MS, Katherine G. Zimny, PharmD, BCOP, Kyle R. Miller, PharmD, CSP, Robert Topp, PhD, RN
Objective: To evaluate the effect of patient support kits, including loperamide and an emollient cream, on incidences of diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome (HFS), and therapy satisfaction scores among patients prescribed capecitabine through an outpatient specialty pharmacy.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who were prescribed capecitabine during the designated study period between August and November of 2022. The two study arms were the intervention group, including patients who received a capecitabine support kit, and the control group, including patients who did not. Outcomes, including incidences of diarrhea and/or HFS and average patient therapy satisfaction scores, were compared between both groups.
Results: Chi-squared analyses indicated no differences (χ2 = 2.84, p=0.09) in the incidences of diarrhea between the intervention and control groups. However, a significant difference in the incidences of HFS was detected (χ2 = 7.70, p=0.01) between the intervention (20.6%) and control (40.7%) groups. There were no differences in patient therapy satisfaction scores between the two groups. Conclusions: Pharmacy-provided capecitabine patient support kits, including adverse drug events (ADEs) management tools, may serve as an effective method for patients to recognize and manage serious toxicities, avoiding ADEs-related sequelae. Further prospective studies are in progress to better understand the impact of this intervention.
Keywords: Capecitabine, Emollients, Loperamide, Prospective Studies, Hand-Foot Syndrome, Incidence, Outpatients, Retrospective Studies, Diarrhea, Personal Satisfaction, Pharmacy
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2024 March/April Table of Contents
Objective: To evaluate the effect of patient support kits, including loperamide and an emollient cream, on incidences of diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome (HFS), and therapy satisfaction scores among patients prescribed capecitabine through an outpatient specialty pharmacy.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who were prescribed capecitabine during the designated study period between August and November of 2022. The two study arms were the intervention group, including patients who received a capecitabine support kit, and the control group, including patients who did not. Outcomes, including incidences of diarrhea and/or HFS and average patient therapy satisfaction scores, were compared between both groups.
Results: Chi-squared analyses indicated no differences (χ2 = 2.84, p=0.09) in the incidences of diarrhea between the intervention and control groups. However, a significant difference in the incidences of HFS was detected (χ2 = 7.70, p=0.01) between the intervention (20.6%) and control (40.7%) groups. There were no differences in patient therapy satisfaction scores between the two groups. Conclusions: Pharmacy-provided capecitabine patient support kits, including adverse drug events (ADEs) management tools, may serve as an effective method for patients to recognize and manage serious toxicities, avoiding ADEs-related sequelae. Further prospective studies are in progress to better understand the impact of this intervention.
Keywords: Capecitabine, Emollients, Loperamide, Prospective Studies, Hand-Foot Syndrome, Incidence, Outpatients, Retrospective Studies, Diarrhea, Personal Satisfaction, Pharmacy
Download PDF
2024 March/April Table of Contents